While other MediaPost newsletters and articles remain free to all ... our new Research Intelligencer service is reserved for paid subscribers ...

Subscribe today to gain access to every Research Intelligencer article we publish as well as the exclusive daily newsletter, full access to The MediaPost Cases, first-look research and daily insights from Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief.

Agencies Remotely Creating COVID-19 Safety, Entertainment Content

As agencies adjust to work-from-home mode, they’re
also generating a lot of COVID-19 messaging as well as entertainment content. And now that most people are singularly preoccupied with the pandemic, there’s a lot less emphasis on hard-sell
advertising.

“No one wants to be sold anything right now, but no one wants their engagement to suffer,” says Stu Thompson, founder, Cut Media. “So sell them nothing, other
than potential hours of entertainment and inspiration from the comfort of their home.”

Cut Media is recycling footage from previous campaigns to introduce an open source “stay
inside” campaign designed to appeal to sports fans and raise awareness for its client roster.

#StayInStayInspired launches with the first of nine short films pulled from the
agency’s archive to showcase extreme sport athletes engaged in impressive tricks. The first snippet serves as a cut-down from a recent film made for Santa Cruz Bicycles featuring cyclist Steve
Peat.

advertisement

advertisement

The agency is distributing the clip across all of its own channels, including Instagram and Facebook, as well as
Peat’s and the Santa Cruz Bicycles social media, all using the #StayInStayInspired hashtag. Brands and athletes featured in upcoming content are invited to use the films to connect with all
their digital channels.

Consultancy Gather is hacking the go-to WFH platform Zoom to deliver what it calls Connection Roulette. The social trick uses a
Zoom sub feature to allow the host to randomly assign 3-5 participants to move to a separate conversation in order to keep people engaged as well as encourage more personal chats. Users need a pro
account to access the hack.

"It’s a new use of an existing tool,” says David Gaspar, managing director, Gather. "Necessity is the mother of invention and these times call for
us to use tools in new ways and that’s exactly what we’re doing. And, we’re using the random breakout room generator to simulate the serendipity of a social cocktail party.
It’s working.”

Wunderman Thompson is teaming with independent record label Glassnote Records and Salesforce to debut “Sofa Sets,” a live-streamed music festival
featuring performers such as Jade Bird, Hamilton Leithauser and Taylor Janzen.

The concert will come to screens this Friday between 3pm and 6pm EST. In addition to the musical performances,
the festival will encourage viewers to donate directly to charities in their area supporting those most economically impacted by the disease. The event will also track viewers’ location data to
create a real-time visualization map to illustrate what sitting on the sofa can accomplish by way of the number of hospital stays prevented and ventilators freed up.

“During these
challenging times, we all need to be coming together to improve the lives of everyone around us,” says Shane Atchison, CEO, Wunderman Thompson, North America. “If we can help highlight the
importance of social distancing and reduce the spread of coronavirus by even the smallest amount, we will be proud and humbled to have played a part.”

The Integer Group is releasing what
the Omnicom agency calls a social distancing tool kit to help retailers easily communicate COVID-19 recommendations about keeping away from others.

The agency designed the “Two Carts Apart” guideline to be turnkey with the ability to
customize for language and color palette. Team members are also taking requests for custom colors and logo additions.